Rheumatology News and Research

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Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists mainly deal with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues and allied conditions of connective tissues.

Genentech receives FDA approval for Actemra to treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Actemra, given alone or in combination with methotrexate, for the treatment of active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children ages 2 years and older.

15 Apr 2011

Scientists identify novel small molecules that block human tumor cell growth

Researchers from the Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center have identified three novel small molecules that interrupt a crucial cellular communication pathway that regulates many aspects of development and cancer.

15 Apr 2011

Takeda announces EDARBI availability in U.S. pharmacies for hypertension treatment

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., today announced that EDARBI, an angiotensin II receptor blocker approved for the treatment of hypertension, or high blood pressure, is now available by prescription for adults in U.S. pharmacies.

15 Apr 2011

Study: Simple illusion can reduce arthritic pain

A serendipitous discovery by academics at The University of Nottingham has shown that a simple illusion can significantly reduce — and in some cases even temporarily eradicate — arthritic pain in the hand.

15 Apr 2011

Neurosurgeons to present techniques and discuss surgical approaches at AANS meeting

Neurosurgeons from NYU Langone Medical Center will present techniques and discuss surgical approaches and applications of technology at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, held April 9-13, 2011 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

11 Apr 2011

Results of study evaluating potential inhibitory effects of PPIs on Plavix presented at ACC 2011

Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. announced the presentation of new study results, which evaluated the potential inhibitory effects of certain proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate). The results showed that in healthy subjects, clopidogrel's active metabolite and inhibition of platelet function were reduced less by the co-administration of clopidogrel with dexlansoprazole or lansoprazole, rather than esomeprazole.

6 Apr 2011

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, AACR honor NYU School of Medicine's scientist with Fellowship

NYU School of Medicine's Cosimo Commisso, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry, is the 2011 recipient of The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-American Association for Cancer Research Fellowship, a one-year grant designed to support pancreatic cancer research.

6 Apr 2011

Teenagers with scoliosis can benefit from new generation spine implants

Teenagers who undergo spine fusion for scoliosis using the newest surgical techniques can expect to be doing well 10 years after surgery, according to a Hospital for Special Surgery study published online ahead of print in the TK issue of the journal Spine.

6 Apr 2011

Important updates on spondyloarthritis highlighted at 2010 SPARTAN meeting

Spondyloarthritis is a group of inflammatory conditions causing spine and joint pain and deformity, mostly in young men. Important updates on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of SpA are presented in the April issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation.

31 Mar 2011

Study finds frequent anaemia in patients with chronic respiratory failure

A study of nearly 600 patients with severe non-inflammatory respiratory disease has found that a significant percentage also suffered from anaemia, according to the April issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

31 Mar 2011

ACR releases new guidelines for JA treatment

Several Canadian pediatric rheumatologists and health professionals played a prominent role in developing new guidelines for treating juvenile arthritis.

31 Mar 2011

New clinical practice guidelines developed for juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The American College of Rheumatology has developed new guidelines for starting and monitoring treatments for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. These are the first JIA guidelines endorsed by the ACR, with the goal of broad acceptance within the rheumatology community.

30 Mar 2011

Singing reduces blood pressure prior to total knee replacement surgery

Doctors report that singing reduced the blood pressure of a 76-year-old woman who had experienced severe preoperative hypertension prior to total knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis (OA). While the patient was unresponsive to aggressive pharmacologic interventions, the woman's blood pressure dropped dramatically when she sang several religious songs.

30 Mar 2011

Merck submits Erbitux indication extension to EMA for NSCLC treatment

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that it has submitted an indication extension to the European Medicines Agency for the approval of Erbitux in combination with standard 1st line platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with high epidermal growth factor receptor expression.

30 Mar 2011

Cancer drug Gleevec may hold promise against scleroderma: Study

A drug approved to treat certain types of cancer has shown promising results in the treatment of patients with scleroderma, according to results from an open-label Phase II trial. While the drug's efficacy must be demonstrated in a Phase III trial, the gold standard for testing a drug, researchers are optimistic that Gleevec- (imatinib) could potentially be a weapon against the chronic connective tissue disease for which a treatment has remained elusive.

28 Mar 2011

Lupus nephritis ESRD study finds increase in incidence rates among children, African Americans

New research documenting changes in the incidence and outcomes of end-stage renal disease in the U.S. between 1995 and 2006, found a significant increase in incidence rates among patients 5 to 39 years of age and in African Americans.

28 Mar 2011

Study develops new approaches for sorting out complexities of cancer cells

New drugs that specifically target the mutated genes responsible for cancer growth have shown great success in extending the lives of patients, with far fewer side effects than conventional anti-cancer therapies. Unfortunately, many patients become resistant to these drugs due to secondary mutations.

25 Mar 2011

$Falls history improves accuracy of fracture prediction models$

Falls history improves accuracy of fracture prediction models

Researchers from the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit in Southampton, UK, have presented a new study that shows how the inclusion of falls history, in addition to clinical risk factors (CRFs) and bone mineral density (BMD) values, would greatly improve the accuracy of fracture prediction models. The research findings were presented today at the European Congress on Osteoporosis & Osteoarthritis in Valencia, Spain.

25 Mar 2011

Affymax, Takeda's peginesatide Phase 3 data in dialysis patient to be presented at NKF meeting

Affymax, Inc. and Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc., U.S., today announced multiple posters on peginesatide have been accepted for presentation at the National Kidney Foundation 2011 Spring Clinical Meeting taking place April 26-30, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

24 Mar 2011

DISCUSS survey findings highlight need to prioritize GERD dialogue

According to findings from the new nationwide DISCUSS Survey, many people surveyed report that their gastroesophageal reflux disease and/or persistent heartburn symptoms significantly disrupt their lives.

24 Mar 2011